Fauntleroy Way parking restriction expanding, and what else was discussed @ Fauntleroy Community Association

Parking restrictions along a mile of southbound Fauntleroy Way, mostly alongside Lincoln Park, are expanding. We found out about that at last night’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting – but NOT because of any official briefing or other involvement; members, in fact, voiced displeasure with the idea.

Instead, the notification arrived as it had for some other area residents – via an SDOT-sent postal-mail postcard. (We asked SDOT this morning for a digital version – [added] see the PDF version here.) The postcard says that what is currently a 3-7 pm weekday prohibition on parking in the ferry-waiting zone, between SW Fontanelle and the terminal, will expand to 2-7 pm, and new signs will be installed soon.

(ADDED 3:06 PM: SDOT spokesperson Sue Romero tells WSB, “These mailers went out last Thursday and Friday (4/6 and 4/7) and were mailed to residents along Fauntleroy Way SW from SW Fontanelle to SW Barton St, and 1-2 blocks west. Sign installation is scheduled to begin tomorrow.”)

FCA board member Gary Dawson, longtime local rep on the Ferry Advisory Committee for the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth, had mentioned at last month’s meeting (WSB coverage here) that he had heard about the proposal but was at the time still trying to sleuth its status and what feedback if any had been sought for stakeholders. Now, with the postcard, it’s confirmed.

TRIANGLE IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE: Dawson was one of the Fauntleroy representatives on the volunteer citizens’ advisory group that just wrapped up the intensive first phase of its work to come up with “quick wins” to try to alleviate the ferry-dock backups this summer. He gave the board a summary of what’s in the works, including tollbooth-procedure changes expected to launch in June. (We covered the group’s recommendations in our report on its final first-phase meeting.)

FUNDRAISER FOR FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: The annual Endolyne Joe’s (WSB sponsor) fundraiser for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is coming up on May 3rd – dine any time that day or night at Joe’s (9261 45th SW) and part of the proceeds will go to help pay for the free community festival. Last year, it was noted, Joe’s donated $1,100, and a similar amount came from raffle-ticket sales that day.

POLICE UPDATE: Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores came to the FCA meeting instead of Operations Lt. Ron Smith; he said the CPTs are currently making the rounds of community groups to hear directly about community concerns. One that was brought up: The house across from Lincoln Park that still has damage from a fire two years ago and has been the subject of complaints to the city Department of Construction and Inspections. Officer Flores said they’re still keeping an eye on it along with SDCI.

Seven between the bridge and Salty’s, as of yesterday, which was down two from a few days earlier. We’re going by again shortly as well as going over to see what’s happening under the bridge, since the City Council has just received a briefing with new numbers from that area as well as citywide. Story to come.

It’s not the end of the world but the extra hour will definately be annoying this summer when the pool is is open. It’s difficult to find parking in the lots as it is and the cuttoff of an hour earlier will be irritating for sure to those that visit the wading pool and will mean more will be trying to squeeze in .

In regard to “why the angst?” or “what’s the big deal about 1 extra hour?”…. much of the angst relates to how the change occurred. The Fauntleroy Community has a long history of working with SDOT on parking issues, the RPZ that’s in effect and particularly, the issues of parking near the ferry terminal. This particular change was initiated by residents of Vashon Island via a political representative who went directly to SDOT and the decision was made by SDOT without input from the Fauntleroy Community. Any change in parking restrictions, particularly along the ferry terminal area, impacts not just the immediate residents along that street but also other residents in the surrounding streets since parking is “pushed” to other nearby locations as a result of the change. (Interesting that the spokesperson from SDOT says that the flyer went to the residents along Fauntleroy Way and the blocks west when no “blocks west” exist.) We hope that in the future, SDOT and our neighbors across the water will respect their neighbors in Fauntleroy by allowing community input before making a change.

Regardless of what generated the change, it is really telling that there was no communications from the City of Seattle to the local community association. SDOT and the newly appointed communication channel of the Dept of Neighborhoods both know that FCA has a stakeholder interest in changes related to ferry traffic. They are deliberately cutting neighborhood groups out of activities and changes that affect their area.

Seattle Municipal Code for RPZs (SMC 11.16.317) requires “public information and involvement” in the event of any RPZ change that is two or more contiguous blocks. I don’t know if this was done in this case, but FCA and others were not notified until the decision was made. Again, regardless of how the change came about, it appears that the proper procedure wasn’t followed. This is only a 1 hour change but we need to try to hold SDOT accountable.

Hopefully the new signs will be easier to read as well. I have seen many tourists staring long and hard at the existing signs to decipher the time windows available. It’s a lot of info to cram into small sign.

Oh, and Aloha….the “blocks west” they refer to are along 47th avenue SW.

Having been a Fauntleroy resident for nearly 7 years, and now a Vashon resident for almost 3, I am well versed on this issue from the perspective of BOTH sides of the water. But I really wish folks in West Seattle wouldn’t blame Vashon for this, as the change has neeeded to ocur for a long, long while.

It’s too bad (IMO) that they aren’t being even more agressive. We need state troopers back on the route during commuting and summer hours to keep the traffic moving steadily, lanes need to be better marked so folks know which lanes are for what, the no-parking and idling zones in front of resident driveways and alongside the park need better signage. Lastly, something needs to be done about how the terminal booths work during peak times to keep the loading/unloading flow at maximum speed.

Anyway, it’s complicated but it definitely doesn’t involve *just* a few residents along Fauntleroy between the 76 station and the ferry dock. Thousands of people are using that route daily, in both directions, for myriad reasons. Vehicles trying to get to/from Vashon are just one of those reasons. We need to find a way to stop pointing fingers and solve it. Traffic is not going to decrease over the next decade(s), and if you think it will you’ve clearly missed all the new multi-unit housing projects being built all over West Seattle (at the expense of losing hundreds of single family homes). Be careful what you wish for, YOUR waterfront and Lincoln Park adjacent properties could be next.

WSF needs to build a larger parking lot. As someone who lives in this area, Ferry traffic has increased substantially… especially on weekends. Somedays the backup extends well past the gas station.

Also, Fauntleroy Ave SW should be reclassified as a state highway so that it can be repaved with State funds. The roadway is in terrible condition and the State should be held responsible for its upkeep.